


Breathe

by brightingales (zoeteniets)



Series: Jarry tumblr prompts [1]
Category: Hollyoaks
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-25 17:15:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16202045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoeteniets/pseuds/brightingales
Summary: For the tumblr prompts: “It’s three in the morning.”//“Come here.”//“I feel like I can’t breathe.”Harry rolls over as soon as he wakes up. But instead of falling into his lover’s sleepy embrace he only encounters empty sheets. For a brief second, he panics that James has seen sense and left him...





	Breathe

Harry rolls over as soon as he wakes up. But instead of falling into his lover’s sleepy embrace he only encounters empty sheets. For a brief second, he panics that James has seen sense and left him. Luckily, he quickly realises that he’s still in James’s bed, in James’s bedroom, in James’s flat. The only thing missing is the man himself.

He fumbles around in the dark for something to put on before heading for the kitchen. James might have just got up to get a glass of water. He finds him there, standing by the sink, but there’s no glass in his hand. He’s just standing there, staring out of the window. The street light outside illuminates his silhouette in orange and gold. It’s ridiculous, but to Harry, he looks like an angel.

“James,” Harry says quietly so as not to startle him. “What are you doing? It’s three in the morning.”

James twitches his head towards him but doesn’t move from where he is staring.

“Nightmare. I’m ok. Go back to bed. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Harry knows straight away that James is definitely not ok. He knows because whenever James is upset or angry or hurt he always withdraws. He burrows into himself and licks his wounds in peace leaving Harry on the outside, unable to reach him. Trying to get James to open up is like trying to open a locked door with a broken key. But they’ve been working on this together and Harry knows James so well now. So, Harry does the opposite of what James has told him to do (no surprise there) and goes over to where James is standing.

“Come here,” he says, opening his arms to James. The older man takes one look at him, then crumbles into Harry’s chest. They wrap their arms around each other; James clinging on as Harry gives him something to anchor himself too. Harry can feel James’s heart thudding against his chest where they are pressed together as if it is trying to break out of the cadge of his ribs, so that it can beat against Harry’s own.

Eventually, he calms down, and Harry is able to ask, “What happened?”

“I just… I dreamt about Mac. About being young again. Sometimes, it’s like I can still feel the bruises… And then I wake up, and you’re here and it’s all fine, but I remember  _everything_ … and I feel like I can’t breathe…”

Harry strokes his hands across James’s back- reassuring touches to remind James that he’s awake and safe and free. “It’s ok, James. I’ve got you,” he hums softly into his ear. And Harry knows he shouldn’t make promises. Especially not ones like these- promises that will cause so much pain and devastation if they are ever broken. But how can he help himself, when he knows this to be true?

“I’m here,” Harry whispers into the skin of James’s neck, hoping that the truth of what he is saying will etch itself onto the bones beneath. “I’ll always be here.”

**Author's Note:**

> Join me on tumblr @brigtingales for more jarry nonsense.


End file.
